Turtle Watch begins patrol for PCB nesting season

Tourists watch for signs of emerging sea turtle hatchlings at a roped-off nest near Seaside Villas condominium east of Panama City Beach several years ago. Sea turtle nesting season starts today.

News Herald file photo

By VALERIE GARMAN | The News Herald

Published: Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 11:11 AM.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Loggerhead nesting has been making a comeback in Panama City Beach over the last two years, but the threatened sea turtle species still has a long way to go to rebuild its population.

“Loggerheads seem to be making a rebound after declining for the past decade or so,” said Kennard Watson, director of the local group Turtle Watch. “It’s looking encouraging, but we’ve still got a long way to go for the loggerheads to get them off the threatened species list.”

Turtle Watch will take to the beach for the start of sea turtle nesting season today in the organization’s 23rd year patrolling the 17.6 miles of beach between St. Andrews State Park and Camp Helen State Park.

With funding from the Bay County Tourist Development Council, the group works with both paid and volunteer personnel to scout the beach for nesting activity May through October.

Both 2012 and 2013 were significant years for nesting in Panama City Beach; 2012 marked the most successful season ever recorded, with 39 nests hatched.

“The past few years have been really good for loggerhead nesting,” said Watson, adding that it’s difficult to pinpoint what drives the success of a season. “It’s so hard to predict what these animals are going to do.”

Although the official start to the annual season is May 1, Turtle Watch doesn’t usually spot the first nest until mid- to late May and the nesting period peaks in mid-June. The peak hatching season for nests takes place in August.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Loggerhead nesting has been making a comeback in Panama City Beach over the last two years, but the threatened sea turtle species still has a long way to go to rebuild its population.

“Loggerheads seem to be making a rebound after declining for the past decade or so,” said Kennard Watson, director of the local group Turtle Watch. “It’s looking encouraging, but we’ve still got a long way to go for the loggerheads to get them off the threatened species list.”

Turtle Watch will take to the beach for the start of sea turtle nesting season today in the organization’s 23rd year patrolling the 17.6 miles of beach between St. Andrews State Park and Camp Helen State Park.

With funding from the Bay County Tourist Development Council, the group works with both paid and volunteer personnel to scout the beach for nesting activity May through October.

Both 2012 and 2013 were significant years for nesting in Panama City Beach; 2012 marked the most successful season ever recorded, with 39 nests hatched.

“The past few years have been really good for loggerhead nesting,” said Watson, adding that it’s difficult to pinpoint what drives the success of a season. “It’s so hard to predict what these animals are going to do.”

Although the official start to the annual season is May 1, Turtle Watch doesn’t usually spot the first nest until mid- to late May and the nesting period peaks in mid-June. The peak hatching season for nests takes place in August.

While loggerhead is the most common species to nest in the area, Turtle Watch also has recorded other species in recent years. The group recorded a handful of endangered green sea turtle nests last year and its first nesting leatherback in 2012.

Watson said he thinks the last few seasons have been successful due in part to better protection of nesting sea turtles in the area.
New regulations like the “Leave No Trace” ordinance and an ordinance mandating “turtle friendly” lighting for beachfront properties have helped nesting over the last few seasons, Watson said.

The new lighting ordinance went into effect last year and requires Gulf-front properties to use dimmer lights so nesting sea turtles and hatchlings are not led away from the water. Because they nest and hatch at night, Watson said light disorientation is the single greatest threat to sea turtles on the developed beach.

“We’re slowly seeing some improvements on the beach in terms of lighting,” Watson said of the ordinance, citing fewer issues with condominium lights in the last year but more problems with streetlights and single family homes. “It’s a work in progress.”

As the nesting season begins, Watson said beach visitors can help by removing tents and other items from the beach at night, as required by the Leave No Trace ordinance.

“I noticed a significant change after the ordinance was put in place,” Watson said. “The beach used to be just littered with abandoned canopies in the early morning. … It’s looking a lot better out there.”

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